UK Government criticised over lack of support for renewables industry

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The UK Government has been criticised over a “staggering lack of progress” in supporting the renewables sector.

The comments, which come from SNP Energy spokesperson, Callum McCaig, follow a worrying study published by Green Alliance in recent weeks, which forecast that renewables investment in the UK would decline by 95 per cent between 2017 and 2020.

Green Alliance’s report found that more than £1bn of future investment in wind, solar, biomass power and waste-to-energy projects had ‘disappeared’ over the course of 2016 – which it attributed to cuts to several green energy subsidy schemes over the last 18 months.

In a letter to Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) secretary Greg Clark, SNP Energy’s Callum McCaig has said that it is “absolutely clear” that the UK Government must act now.

Mr McCaig’s letter read: “We call on you to halt the agenda of unexpected, cherry-picked, damaging announcements and policies in favour of a thorough industrial strategy into the supply and demand of energy in your Industrial Strategy.

“Whilst we have thus far been frustrated by the staggering lack of progress by the UK Government on this vital issue, we hope that our Governments can work together to secure a sustainable future.”

The comments come ahead of Theresa May’s “modern industrial strategy” – which is due to be published later day and be characterised by a renewed focus on “clean growth” into Britain’s post-Brexit future.